Where Do I Move?

West · California · pop 218.6K

Modesto, CA

Fit score

Fair match

at the reference profile: one person earning $6,700/mo gross, default weights.

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After estimated taxes in CA, your $6,700/mo income nets about $5,120 — covering estimated essentials here (about $1,688 rent plus everyday costs incl. local sales tax) with roughly $414 left over.

Expect summer highs near 95°F, winter lows around 40°F, and about 0 sunny days a year.

Reported crime rates sit below most similar-sized cities in this dataset.

Tradeoff: this is a quieter market with fewer restaurants and entertainment options per resident.

AFFORDABILITY65HOUSING37JOBS56SAFETY60CLIMATE63AMENITIES30

The Modesto fit print

Est. monthly cost

$4,706/mo

Typical rent

$1,986/mo

Home value ÷ income

5.3×

Score breakdown

Affordability
65
Housing
37
Jobs
56
Safety
60
Climate
63
Amenities
30

The data behind the score

Money (Census ACS · HUD)

Median gross rent
$1,986/mo
Median home value
$415,600
Median household income
$77,899
Population
218,614

Work (BLS)

Unemployment rate
0.0%
Job growth (1yr)
0.0%

Safety (FBI CDE, per 100k)

Violent crime rate
0
Property crime rate
0

Climate (NOAA normals)

Avg. summer high
95°F
Avg. winter low
40°F
Sunny days / year
0
Days ≥100°F by 2050 (air temp)
≈38/yr
Dangerous humid days by 2050 (feels-like)
≈0/yr
Unhealthy air days
≈10/yr
Annual rain
0"
Annual snow
0"

Community & access (approx.)

2024 county margin
R+11
Bachelor's degree or higher
≈20%
Major airport
≈15 mi
Time zone
PT
Walkability
40/100
Transit
30/100
Disaster risk
32/100
Top natural hazard
Drought
Local pay is tight here. A typical Modesto household earns about $78k, roughly 14% below the $91k it takes to cover local costs here. Local pay stretches, but it's tight.
A citywide number is an average. Rent, safety, and everything else vary block by block — treat these figures as a starting point and research specific neighborhoods before committing.

Data vintage: acs2023-5yr+zori-2026-06-30. Sources & methodology

Natural-hazard risk

Wildfire

high risk

Hurricanes

low risk

Tornadoes

low risk

Flooding

low risk

Earthquakes

high risk

Severe winter

low risk

Per-hazard risk-index scores from FEMA's National Risk Index for this city's county, with any hazard FEMA doesn't score filled in by our model. Screen by hazard from search.

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Go deeper

Buy vs. rent the median home

Owning the median Modesto home would run about $2,851/mo (mortgage, tax, insurance, upkeep) versus $1,986/mo to rent — about $865/mo more to buy at today's 6.60% rate.

To own$2,851/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
$2,123
Property tax
$260
Insurance (state avg)
$121
Maintenance
$346
To rent$1,986/mo

Buying costs about $865/mo more.

Median home $415,600 · $83,120 down

Estimate only: 30-year fixed, state-average property tax and homeowners insurance, ~1%/yr maintenance. Part of the mortgage payment builds equity, which a pure outlay comparison ignores; and the median home is typically larger than the median rental, which biases the gap toward renting. Ignores closing costs, HOA dues, PMI on low down payments, and the opportunity cost of the down payment. Not a lending quote.

What will the move cost?

Moving to Modesto

About 2,496 mi from New York, NY.

DIY — rental truck

$3,100$4,450

One-way truck, mileage, and fuel. Your labor.

Full-service movers

$7,550$10,850

Pros load, drive, and unload. Packing usually extra.

Rough estimates from distance and household size — real quotes vary with season, access, exact inventory, and fuel. Get a few binding quotes before you book.

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